Chapter Text
He was beautiful.
The tender moonlight seemed to set itself aflame on his skin, accentuating the pure delight ridden on his face. His eyes were wide with pleasure, as if they contained a lifetime’s worth of ecstasy in that one moment. His hair was a shade lighter, the luminescence complimenting the red.
Reki cried triumphantly as his skateboard connected smoothly with the cement, cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Langa, please tell me you recorded that!" he exclaimed with eyes wide with disbelief, pride flashing between them. Yet the moment was short lived as he promptly tripped over his own feet, sending himself face first into the ground. Langa stifled a laugh as he extended a hand to help, pulling him back to his feet.
Reki, oblivious to the print of sidewalk on his cheek, beamed from cheek to cheek while rocking on his heels excitedly. “That fall doesn’t count, okay? I tripped a good three seconds after I landed it, so the jump was valid, right? Right?”
His voice caught in his throat as he stared at his own feet. “…Yeah. Yeah, it doesn’t count.”
Reki’s eyes lit up as he punched the air in victory. “God, I can’t wait to see Miya’s face when I land this in front of him. He’ll be near tears, just you wait.”
Reki went on to name every skater they knew and how their jaws would drop to the floor, waving his hands around excitedly. Langa’s lips parted as he traced Reki’s eyes with his own in wonder, marveling at the beautiful life force he’d been lucky enough to call a friend.
That was a lie.
A lie born from fear but a lie nonetheless. It was a lie that made him feel safe, far, far away from the unsightly emotions he refused to acknowledge. But in moments like these, they crawled through the cracks of Langa’s resolve, the longing encasing his senses. It was always on the tip of his tongue, on the surface of his skin. It itched whenever he heard him call his name, or when he’d casually slide his arm around his shoulder, skin against skin. It was omnipresent and Langa couldn’t fathom how he lived without it.
“Langa? What’re you looking at me for?” Reki asked, his skateboard wedged under his arm. The happiness from managing the jump lingered in his tone, the adrenaline still present. “The manager’s closing shop soon so we got to hurry. Unless you changed your mind about me fixing your wheels.”
Langa, mouth still half open, blinked twice. “Oh…yeah. Okay.”
Reki quirked an eyebrow curiously but said nothing, accustomed to Langa spacing out from time to time. “Whoever gets there first buys the other lunch for a week!” Reki shouted as he mounted his skateboard and pushed off, whooping happily.
Langa grinned and mounted his in turn, unable to keep the smile from off his face as he stared at the back of Reki’s head. His heart ached bitterly, pangs of desire adorning each beat.
He didn’t want to ruin this. To ruin the carefree dynamic void of any emotional baggage, just them against the world. Why would he? Was any risk worth losing what they had?
“If you were any slower, you’d be going backwards, Langa! The lunch won’t taste good if I win this easy, c’mon.” Reki yelled endearingly over his shoulder.
Reki slowed his pace to let Langa catch up, now cruising side by side. He then reached over to grab Langa's hand, grasping it tightly in his own.
"You aren't afraid of crashing, are you?" Reki murmured, with a note of worry at the end, "Don't worry, I know my way around here easy. If the dark's a little scary, I'll hold your hand for you. If you want.
Langa's fingertips tingled intensely, warmth spreading from the pads of his hand to his palm. He suppressed a shiver at the touch and recoiled from Reki, withdrawing his hand hesitantly.
Frowning, Langa muttered, "I'm not afraid of the dark, Reki."
The remnants of Reki's touch still tickled his fingertips guiltily, a sensation he had no right to feel. It wasn't fair to Reki.
This is enough. Langa thought to himself as he drifted adjacent to Reki, As long as I’m by his side, I’m happy.
That was another lie.